Musical instrument



A'llil Patented Nov. 11, 1890.

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iined in the claims.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A..MACKENZIE, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 440,601, dated November11, 1890. Application filed July 30, 1890. Serial No,` 360,398. (Nomodel.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES A. MACKENZIE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain Improvements in Musical Instruments, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to stringed musical instruments of the classcommonly known as dnlcimersg and the object is, in part, to improve thetone and power of the instrument and in part. to provide a rigidconstruction which will resist the tension put upon the strings.

My invention will be hereinafter fully described, and its novel featurescarefully de- In the accompanying drawings, which serve to illustrate myinvention, Figure l is a plan of an instrument embodying my invention.Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same in the plane ofthe line 2 2 in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a plan of the cast-metal frame of theinstrument.

a is the box or casing of t-he instrument, and a is the cover or lidhinged thereto.

b is the cast-iron frame ot the instrument, which is archedlongitudinally by preference, and c is the sounding-board mounted onsaid frame and bent to conform to its arched snrface. The frame b hastwo transverse br'aces b and b2 and two diagonal braces b3 and h4, andat its respective ends are transverse plates h5 and h, on or in whichare set the pins for attaching the strings.

The lower side of the instrument, as seen in Fig. l, is the front or theside at which the player sits. At this side are situated the lower-tonedregisters of the instrument, the higher-toned registers being at theback. The lower side of the iron frame, as represented in Fig. 3, is thefront thereof. The diagonal braces h3 and b4 extend from the rear bar ofthe iron frame to the respective end bars thereof, and the transversebraces b and b2, which extend obliquely across the frame, are alittlewider apart at the front or lower register side of the latter than atthe rear or higher register side thereof.

I will now explain the arrangement of the strings of the instrument andtheir bridges.

The tenor-bridge cl rests on the soundingboard c at a point over thespace between the transverse braces h and b2 of the frame below. Thepositions of these braces are indicated by dotted lines in Fig. l. Thetenorstrings e pass over and rest on the main tenorbridge d and over theend bridges d. They are preferably double, the bi ght of each doublestring being looped over a pin f, (seen at the left-hand end of theinstrument,) and having its free ends attached to pins g. (Seen at theri ght-hand end.) These latter aretuning-pins, whereby the strings areput under proper tension. The bass-strings 71, pass through apertures inor under the main tenor-bridge d and over the two bass -bridges yz'.These latter bridges have arches or apertures in them through which thetenor-strings e pass on their way to the end bridges d. The bridgesft'stand nearly parallel with the respective diagonal braces in the ironframe below, the positions of these latter being designated by thedotted lines in Fig. l. The bridge cl is not quite parallel with therespective braces h and b2, the latter being wider apart at the frontthan at the back, ot' the instrument. The bassstrings 7L are mounted inthe same manner as the tenor-strings, or substantially so, the bight ofeach double string 7L being looped over a pin j at the end of the ironframe and attached at its free ends to tuning-pins k at the opposite endof the frame. The pins f andj may be cast integrally with the iron frameor may be set iixedly therein, as preferred.

. It will be seen that the construction described causes the two sets otstrings e and /L tooross each other at each side ot' bridge d in such amanner that the tenor-strings c are raised above the bass-strings 7L ateach side of the main tenor-bridge, and the bass-strings are raisedabove the tenor-strings at two points just inside ot the respectivebass-bridges i. This arrangement permits the strings to be played uponat these elevated points. Where the strings pass through apertures inthe bridges they are free to vibrate therein without contact with thelatter. The vibrating portions of the bass-strings between the twobridges t' may be struck; with either the right or the left hand at thepoints near the bridges where they are accessible. The tenor-strings IOCmay also be struck with either hand at either side of the maintenor-bridge (l. This latter bridge is situated somewhat to the left ofthe center of the instrument, its position being such that I am enabledto obtain a tone at each side of said bridge, that at the left sidebeing just a fifth higher than that at the right side.

The respective arrangements 0f the braces in the cast-metal frame andthe bridges upon the sounding-board, as herein set forth, is ofimportance. By making the bridges diverge laterally farther from theirrespective braces in the frame at the front of the instrument than atthe back or higher register part I equalize the strength and fullness ofthe tone throughout the different registers or octaves. The greater thedistance laterally from the bridge to the adjacent brace below the morevibration of the sounding-board there will be at that point and the lessvibration of the string. This produces the effect of short or staccatotones, such as are produced in the pianoforte by dampers upon thestrings. Thus I obtain at the fron-t of the instrument an increasedvibration of the sounding-board and a deeper and fuller tone in thelower register, which is desired, and at the back of the instrument afirmer and shriller tone in the upper register.

By giving to the metal frame the arched form shown greater strength inproportion to its weight is imparted to said frame to enable it toresist the severe strain of the strings necessary to give a roundfullness to the tone.

I prefer to make the frame b and its braces of cast-iron; but it may bemade of other metals as well. Iron is the cheaper metal and it fullyanswers the purpose. The box ct and soundingboard c will usually be ofwood.

My instrument may be called an improved dulcimer, butI have given it thenew name of piano-harp. This name is more appropriate than dulcimer asdelining the invention, because, first, it may be played with hammers,and when so played it yields the full, deep tones of the piano-forte,and not the thin wiry tones of the old dulcimer; secondly, having placedeach group of strings (giving the different tones) one-third closer toeach other than they are on the ordinary dulcimer, the'player is able toreach an octave of strings with the lingers, as upon the pia-no forte,so that when playing with the hammers (one in each hand) the fingers maybe also brought into play in the same strain of music either alternatelyor wit-hout breaking the time, thus giving the results of both pianoandharp. My improvements are, however, applicable to all stringedinstruments of this class by whatever name they may be called.

The pins j and k for the bass-strings are set at a higher level than thepins f and g for the tenor-strings. Thus all the strings in passing overtheir respective bridges bear thereon just firmly enough to form thenecessary fret to give a clear sound when vibrated, and no more. Anyfurther tension on the bridge, or, what is more, on the sounding-board,is in this way prevented, and the pull on the strings in tuning isbrought more nearly into a direct line I have described the bridges dand t' as having apertures in them for the passage of the strings. Inreality,however, the strings h pass under the bridge d and the strings epass under the bridges t.

Having thus described my invention, I claim l. A stringed instrumenthaving as a support for the sounding-board a metal frame b, in which thepins for the strings are set, said frame being provided with twotransverse braces b and b2, extending from one side bar 85 of the 'frameto the other and being widest apart at the front or low-register side ofthe instrument, and two diagonal braces b3 and b4, extending' from theside bar of the frame at the back or high-register side of theinstrument to the respective end bars of said frame, substantially asand for the purposes set forth.

2. A stringed instrument l'iaving as a support for the soundingboardalongitudinally- 95 arched metal frame b, in which the pins for thestrings are set, said frame being provided with transverse braces b andb2 and diagonal braces h3 and b4, substantially as and for the purposesset forth.

S. The combination, in astringed musical instru ment, of the base-iframeprovided with pins for the strings, the sounding-board thereon, the mainapertured tenor-bridge d, the minor tenor-bridges d', the tenor-stringse, resting 105 on said bridges, the apertured bass-bridges 2, and thebass-strings resting on same, the bassstrings passing under the bridge dand the tenor-strings passing under the bass-bridges t', the two sets ofstrings crossing at points 11o between the bridge d and the bridges z',as set forth.

et. In a stringed musical instrument, the combination, with the metalframe h, having transverse braces b and b2 and diagonal 1 i 5 braces b3and b4, arranged as described, of the sounding-board on said frame, thestrings strained over said frame and board, and the bass and tenorbridges, the spaces between the bridges and the respective adjacent 12obraces in the frame below being wider at the front or low-register sideof the instrument than at the high-register side, as set forth.

In wit-ness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo subscribing 125 witnesses.

IOO

JAMES A. MACKENZIE. Witnesses:

ALEXANDER CAMPBELL, W. W. PRICE.

